The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 468 Leila's Badgering (Part Three)

"Are you going to resign?" Anthony was shocked by Burke's words and then asked again in disbelief, "Why? What happened for you to quit so abruptly?"

"No, nothing happened per se. But my personal affairs necessitate my attention right now, so I had to do this." With a faint smile Burke then went on to add, "Even though we will no longer be colleagues as I wind up my work here, we will always remain friends and I will invite you to dine with me or have a drink together more often than not."

"Well, I would like that very much." It was obvious to tell that Burke was in a low spirit and perhaps it had something to do with the woman lying in the sickbed. Burke seemed to do everything to distract himself from Leila's hoovering presence in the hospital. However, Anthony asked nothing but smiled to assure him, "Burke, please do tell me if you need help at any time. Well, I still have some work to attend to, so I gotta go now."

"Okay. Thank you, Anthony, for your kind words," replied Burke. After finishing his sentence, he went back to his office to pack up his belongings. Indeed, he had great attachment for this place since he had been working here for a long time. All of a sudden, a tap on the door interrupted his flow of thoughts and Pamela entered the cabin. Startled, Burke asked her, "What are you doing here, Pamela?"

"I..." Pamela mumbled in fear. In fact, she came to meet Burke casually. But she happened to hear that Burke was going to resign from the nurses outside, so she didn't know whether she came here at the right time or the worst.

"Burke, I was passing by here, and it is lunch time, so I came here to check if you have time to dine with me. So are you available now?" Pamela asked and waited for his response.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Burke finally accepted her request. "Okay. There is a good Western restaurant nearby. I will take you there. I hope you will like it."

"A Western restaurant?" Pamela smiled and then said, "I have been living abroad for so many years now and I am tired of the same bland taste of the Western food. Burke, I want to try something new. Do you know any good Chinese restaurant around here? Please let's grab some Chinese food today."

"Well, as you wish." Burke grinned and added, "Pamela, please wait for me. I will just take a moment. Excuse me, I have to answer nature's call first."

Pamela was waiting at the door of his office. She passed a warm smile to the doctors and nurses passing by. As Burke left the restroom, some doctors asked him, "Burke, is she your girlfriend? When are you getting married? You have to invite us for the grand ceremony please." They joked with Burke and pulled his leg.

"Of course I will," replied Burke with a sly smile. However, Pamela soon blushed after she heard this story from Burke.

Leila still lay on her back in the ward alone retrospecting how things could have gone in the other direction had she not turned down Burke's proposal. Her fever had remitted since she was put on a drip. She wanted to take a walk outside since she had been on bed for a long time. As she got out of the room, she happened to hear about Burke's resignation from the nurses. "I really didn't expect Burke to submit his resignation letter so suddenly," said one of the nurses at their station.

"Yes, I am also stunned by this sudden news," replied another nurse in disbelief.

"I think he is going to get married soon. I heard that his girlfriend came to meet him just now. Everyone said that they made a charmingly beautiful couple."

"Wow, is that so? Does Burke have a girlfriend already?"

"I heard him mention earlier that he might have a girlfriend. The girl looks so beautiful with fair skin. Her eyes are her best feature, wide-set and compelling. What's more, her temperament seems so remarkable. It is easy to tell that she is not an ordinary girl. She is poised, attractive and well nothing short of perfect."

"Alas! It seems that the God is unfair. Someone is born in a notable family while others..." After a small pause, the nurse continued, "Others can't live like that even for a day even if they struggle for their entire life."

"Excuse me. You said that Burke had a girlfriend?" Leila asked them anxiously as she interjected their chat. She stepped forward and stopped the two nurses who were about to leave. "Where did you hear this news? Are you positively sure he has a girlfriend?"

"Yes, I am certain." The nurse nodded slightly and then persuaded Leila,"You are sick. Please don't concentrate on such trivial matters and go back to your ward for some rest. Don't hang around here." After hearing the shocking words from the nurse, Leila felt like that she was hit by the thunder and her face turned pale. She felt weak with grief.

Compared with the girl called Pamela who she met last night, she was in the dry tree.

But she was not going to yield to the situation.

Leila bit her lips anxiously, as she ignored the nurse's words and turned towards Burke's office quickly. As she arrived there, Burke was just about to go out with Pamela.

"Burke, wait a moment." She stopped him immediately.

"Why have you come here again?" Burke was unable to hide his impatience and anger now.

"You... Are you really going to resign to avoid confronting me?" Leila finally asked him upfront. She knew that he was trying to avoid her or else he definitely would not have resigned so abruptly.

"Of course. I have made up my mind," replied Burke in a cold harsh tone. He smirked and then said, "But it is none of your business as it is my private affair. I don't need your unnecessary comment on how I conduct my life."

"You..." Leila's face turned pale out of irritation. She was too furious to utter a single word in defense. "Burke, have you really come to hate me so much overnight? You are even willing to quit your present job so as to avoid meeting me. It just seems so ridiculous," Leila said in a shaky voice.

"Miss Zhang, it is Burke's decision and it has nothing to do with you. So you don't have fret over it," Pamela said all of a sudden after remaining silent for a while. Though it seemed that Pamela was trying to assure Leila, but in actuality Pamela was telling her that she shouldn't poke her nose in Burke's affair anymore.

"Miss He, I am not talking with you, so you may excuse yourself," Leila snapped at her in a loud voice. Leila glared at Pamela and went on to add, "It is also none of your business. And I am talking with Burke, so please give us some privacy."

Saying this, Leila burst into sneer and slyly said, "It is not polite to eavesdrop our conversation and interrupt it as you see fit."

"I..." Pamela frowned slightly but said nothing in defense. She then turned to Burke for some reaction who too remained silent there and said, "Burke, it seems that Miss Zhang has something to talk with you. I will wait for you over there."

"No. There is certainly no need for that." Taking a glance at Leila, Burke looked so impatient and his eyes were filled with anger. "I have nothing to talk to her. We should get going now. I am quite hungry." After he finished speaking, Burke urged Pamela to leave. Seeing this, Leila rushed to him and blocked his way by standing right in front of him. "Burke, you have to clear things with me. I am your girlfriend, and you said that you wanted to marry me last night. But now you have gone back on your words because of this bitch! How could you betray me like this?" Leila wailed, as her eyes filled with tears and resentment She pointed at Pamela furiously and waited for Burke's response hoping for some relief.

"Don't utter nonsense here and create a scene, Leila!" Burke pushed her hands away and said, "I have made everything crystal clear to you last night. This has nothing to do with Pamela. Don't get her involved in this pile of dirt."

"Wow, you have already started defending her." Leila sneered and said to Burke sarcastically, "Well, then please explain why you decide to break up with me so abruptly."

"Are you serious, Leila? You are unbelievable. It is you who decided to break up with me last night after I proposed. So how did you come around to blame me now?" He felt like exploding owing to the growing anger.

"I..." Hearing this, Leila hesitated but then added, "But I regret what I said now." Saying this, Leila stepped to Burke and said, "Burke, I know I was wrong to dismiss your feelings the way I did last night. I don't want to break up with you. Could you please give me a chance to mend the situation? I promise I won't let you down..."

Pamela felt an uncomfortable knot in heart when she found Leila behaving like a spoiled kid in front of Burke, but she just remained silent there as she knew that if Burke had come round, he would handle the situation properly. She trusted him completely.

"Leila, don't create a scene here." Burke shook off her hands again and replied, "We have broken up and can't possibly reconcile anymore. You know that we should have ended our relationship earlier."